War on the Rocks – Deterring China in the Indo-Pacific requires a different set of U.S. capabilities than wars in the Middle East or Ukraine. The vast maritime expanse and China’s buildup across the South China Sea would make it difficult for U.S. forces to operate within the first and second island chains. Most of America’s major weapon systems are 30 years old and many of the new major systems for a high-end conflict won’t be operational until the 2030s…The United States should implement a hedge strategy across all domains. This strategy would require developing and purchasing small and low-cost, unmanned, many, and smarter weapons and designs to complement existing exquisite (costly, complex, massive, and few) weapon systems. The hedge strategy should leverage emerging technologies with an emphasis on adopting these technologies at scale within the next three years.
Marines Considering Autonomous Systems for Almost Everything, General Says
USNI News – Marines are looking to push as many tasks as possible to autonomous systems as the service aims to operate across wide swaths of the Pacific.
Chinese naval hospital ship sets sail for humanitarian mission
China Daily – Chinese naval hospital ship “Peace Ark” set sail on Monday for a humanitarian medical mission in Kiribati, Tonga, Vanuatu, Solomon Islands and East Timor.
Malakhit from Russia unveils Project P-750B submarine
Navy Recognition – The Project P-750B “Serval” is a cutting-edge small multipurpose submarine being developed by the Malakhit Marine Engineering Bureau in St. Petersburg.
India to launch Mahendragiri, the final Shivalik-class stealth warship
Naval Technology – The Indian Ministry of Defence (MoD) will launch the final Shivalik-class frigate, the Mahendragiri, on 1 September, concluding all of the launches under Project 17A, a seven ship programme for the Indian Navy.
(Thanks to Alain)
Stealthy Submarines: Spanish Navantia Offers S-80 Isaac Peral Subs To The Philippines To Fend-Off China
Eurasian Times – The Philippines is the only Southeast Asian country embroiled in a territorial dispute with China that doesn’t operate a submarine. As of 2012, Indonesia, Singapore, and Malaysia were already operating submarines, with Vietnam following suit. Even Myanmar has its submarines.
(Thanks to Alain)
China’s Submarine Activities In Bay Of Bengal: Considerations For India
Eurasia Review – Sino-Indian competition has been one of the defining features of the Bay of Bengal’s strategic resurgence in recent years, as India tries to retain its prominence as a resident power, in the face of China’s deepening footprint in the region. In a future riddled with energy uncertainty, the lure of the Bay is undeniable for Beijing, as not only is the maritime space home to a vast repository of hydrocarbons, but it is also traversed by important sea lanes of communication, that are used to ferry critical energy imports from the Middle East to the countries of East Asia.
(Thanks to Alain)
Admiral sounds alarm amid rising Russian, Chinese movement in high north
Breaking Defense – The melting of the polar ice caps combined with increased Russianship movements is driving “heightened awareness” of the arctic region among US Navy leadership, who are increasingly concerned about the possibility for geopolitical rivals to make unfounded claims to vital sea lanes and natural resources.
Chinese scientists look to 6G to hunt submarines, testing device small enough to fit on drone
South China Morning Post – Defence researchers say sensors can identify extremely small surface vibrations produced by a low-frequency sound source in the open sea. A UAV-mounted platform could work in concert with other submarine detection methods such as a magnetic anomaly detector (MAD), microwave radar or laser.
(Thanks to Alain)
Poland Orders Large Amount Of NSM Missiles
Naval News – In what is a record deal for the company, Poland inked a contract with Kongsberg to procure “several hundred” NSM missiles, command vehicles, launchers and other vehicles…
Taiwan Building Midget Submarine: Huilong Project
Covert Shores – In parallel to the full-sized Indigenous Defense Submarine (IDS), Taiwan is building a much smaller submarine. The Huilong design is a midge submarine intended for testing, It will be armed with torpedoes however.
(Thanks to Alain)
The U.S. Navy Needs Sentinel-Class Cutters To Serve As Missile Patrol Craft
1945 – Endorsed! This month over at the Naval Institute Proceedings, coastguardsman Steve Hulse urges the U.S. Navy to procure a flotilla of Sentinel-class fast response cutters (FRCs) to serve as missile patrol craft.
Radioactive Tsunamis: Nuclear Torpedo Drones and Their Legality in War
CIMSEC – Russia and North Korea are both fielding a novel type of naval weapon – nuclear-armed torpedo drones. These new weapons introduce a variety of strategic and operational challenges that further complicate a worsening threat environment. They also pose critical legal questions about whether their intended concepts of operation are lawful. These weapons have a fearsome potential to weaponize the maritime environment, and precise questions of their legality should be resolved in order to dissuade their proliferation.
Multi Role Support Ships – the future of Royal Navy amphibious capability
Navy Lookout – The UK and Netherlands have formally announced they will explore opportunities to work together to purchase a new generation of amphibious warships. Here we look at the background and the options for this important programme.
Smaller, leaner: Marines put their new ways to fight to the test
Breaking Defense – Breaking Defense was on hand to see a Marine combat logistics regiment train to stay low-profile while extending the Corps’, and Navy’s, reach.
Philippines stands up to Beijing in South China sea tussle
BBC – Where previously Manila may have softly whimpered at China’s actions to block its ships, its voice has now soared to a roar, emboldened by support from Washington and its allies.
World’s First Specialized Explosive Naval Drone Unit Formed In Ukraine
Naval News – Maritime drones are a hot topic in many navies, but Ukraine has become the first to form a specialist unit using explosive-armed ones. The recently revealed 385th Separate Brigade is unique in the world. And it is formed from wartime needs.
Japan’s Missile Defense Ships Will Now Be Multi-Role, Cruiser-Like
War Zone – Japan moves away from procuring dedicated missile defense ships, opting for a multi-role, cruiser-like design that focuses on that mission.
US hype of China-Russia joint naval patrol near Alaska is overreaction, exposes double standards
Global Times – China and Russia’s third joint naval patrol that allegedly reached international waters near Alaska last week has touched the nerves of US media, which hyped the voyage as “highly provocative,” ignoring the fact that the US constantly sends warships and warplanes to China’s doorsteps for close-in reconnaissance and military exercises under the so-called freedom of navigation.
French Navy’s Air Defense FREMM Lorraine Pacific Deployment
Naval News – The French Navy Air Defense FREMM Frigate Lorraine returned to her home-port in Toulon on 2 August, following its long “duration deployment” which took her all the way to the Pacific Ocean.
Japan Requests Largest Defense Budget Ever
Naval News – The Japanese Ministry of Defense (MoD) on August 31 requested $52.9 billion (7.7 trillion yen) for fiscal year 2024, its largest ever defense budget request. Plans include the construction of two ASEVs and two new FFMs.
This Is China’s New Type 054B Frigate, Could Become Backbone Of Navy
War Zone – China’s long-awaited new Type 054B frigate is nearing completion and it’s larger and more capable than its predecessor.
Blind, See, Kill: The Grand Networking Plan To Take On China
War Zone – Admiral John Aquilino, commander of U.S. Indo-Pacific Command (INDOPACOM), offered remarkably detailed comments on what he sees as critical future capabilities needed to fight and win a high-end conflict in his vast area of responsibility — namely against China.
Exercise Digital Horizon: Accelerating the Development of Unmanned Surface Vessels
CIMSEC – Digital Horizon presages a new paradigm in the way navies will think about uncrewed assets, no longer as “vehicles” but rather as “systems” that are nodes in a web of assets delivering far greater capability than the sum of the parts. World navies will conduct ambitious unmanned exercises, experiments and demonstrations throughout 2023 and beyond, and the lessons learned from Digital Horizon will no doubt inform those efforts.
Russia Sinks Line Of Ships To Protect Kerch Bridge
War Zone – New satellite imagery confirms a Ukrainian claim that Russia is sinking vessels along the Kerch Bridge to form a protective barrier against future uncrewed surface vessel (USV) attacks.
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